HSHS to Offer Free Car Seat Safety Checks

HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital will offer free car seat safety checks Saturday, Sept. 26, as part of Child Passenger Safety Week.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Women and Children’s Clinic parking garage at 400 N. 9th St. in Springfield.

A certified child passenger safety technician will work with parents and caregivers to make sure car seats and booster seats are properly installed and appropriate for each child’s age and size.

Illinois law requires children under age 8 to be secured in an appropriate child safety restraint system.

“A properly installed car seat is one of the simplest and most effective ways parents and caregivers can help protect a child on every car ride,” said Aryn Hunter, Chief Administrative Officer of HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,019 children age 14 and younger were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2023 and more than 161,000 were injured.

Additional car seat safety resources and information about year-round car seat fitting stations in Springfield are available through HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital.